Inseperable (or so they thought)
by IridescentDawn443
Summary: When three brothers found their way into the junkyard, it seemed as though they would be inseparable. But some things are simply out of your control.
1. Discovery

**Who knows whats going to happen to this fic. Maybe I'll finish it, maybe I'll delete it, or maybe I'll just give up. Idk. We'll see! There will be mentions of blood and possible abuse in later chapters so... just beware. Constructive criticism is welcome!**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Cats I wouldn't just be writing fanfiction. I would be writing a freaking novel and twelve more musicals. Go figure.**

"Alonzo, can you patrol the far end of the yard, please? I'll do this side." Munkustrap asked his best friend and fellow protector of the Jellicle tribe. Alonzo nodded. The two fledgling toms separated and headed to opposite sides of the junkyard that served as the tribe's home. They picked their way over scraps of random rubbish, keeping an eye out for dangers and useful materials.

Munkustrap was half way around the fence when he head a noise. He froze, one paw in the air, ears twitching. He was beginning to think that he was imagining things when he heard it again; a soft meowing. It was coming from just outside the junkyard in a darkened alleyway. Munk crept along the alley.

"Hello?" He called cautiously. "Who's there?" Soon his eyes landed on three tiny kittens huddled together behind a box.

"Hello you three. What are you doing here? Where are your parents?"

"We don't know." one of them sniffed.

"Mummy and daddy told us to stay here. They said they would come back for us soon, and then they walked away, but that was two days ago! And we're hungry!" Munkustrap felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. Another set of poor, helpless kittens had been abandoned by their own parents. A lot of the Jellicle cats were made up by abandoned kittens that had no where to go. They had been taken in and fed and cared for, and now they were happy, but they had still been abandoned. It was so sad that some cats could have the heart to do that.

"I know somewhere that you can go to get food and shelter. You could even live there if you wanted to!" He smiled at the trio. "What are your names?"

"I'm Tumblebrutus and I'm the oldest." Tumblebrutus was mostly white with a brown patch over his right eye and a similar patch on his shoulder.

"I'm Pouncival. This is Plato." Pouncival looked a lot like his older brother. They had the same colouring, except Pouncival had stripes rather than patches. Plato was quite different from the other two, and a lot smaller. He was obviously the youngest. He had a lot more brown fur than either of his siblings.

"Alright then. I'm Munkustrap. Would you like to come with me?" Munk asked. Pouncival and Tumblebrutus looked at each other.

"But mummy and daddy told us to stay here!" Pouncival cried. Tumblebrutus hugged him sadly. Munkustrap sighed. He hated this part of finding abandoned kittens.

"I'm afraid your parents may not be coming back." He said slowly. "And the streets are very dangerous, especially at night. If your parents do come back, though, my home is just over that fence there, so they will find you." He hoped they would accept his flawed logic. The two looked at each other again and then nodded.

"Plato can't walk properly yet. And he can't see." Tumblebrutus informed him solemnly. Munkustrap nodded in responce and picked Plato up and carried him. The other two followed him, holding paws as they climbed the piles of junk. Soon, they arrived in the junkyard.

"Munkustrap!" Munk turned his head to search for the source of the shout. "Munkustrap!" Alonzo stormed out from behind the car.

"Where have you been! You were supposed to come back ten minutes ago! I though Growltiger had got you or something! I though you were- what are you holding?" Alonzo stopped shouting when he saw that the tabby was holding a crying kitten in his arms. Then he noticed the two older kittens hiding behind his friend's legs. Alonzo looked to his friend for explanation.

"I found these three in a nearby alley. Their parents... they don't know where their parents are." Munkustrap watched the anger slide straight off Alonzo's face as he took in the brothers. Alonzo was also found on the streets. His father had killed his mother and then abandoned him while he was only a few months old.

"Let's take them to Jenny." He said quietly.


	2. Reflections, food, and songs

**Here u go! Another chapter! I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: still haven't written that novel...**

"Oh, the poor, darling kittens! Jennyanydots cried when Munkustrap, Alonzo, and the three kittens walked into her den and told a disjointed version of the story. While she checked the trio over for injuries with the help of her friend, Jellylorum, Munkustrap watched his friend. Alonzo had spaced out and was staring at his paws, frowning. Munk shuffled over to sit next to him.

"You ok?" He whispered. Alonzo snapped out of his trance to look at his friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Alonzo smiled a little too enthusiastically. The other tom blinked.

"What's on your mind?" Munkustrap asked quietly. Alonzo sighed, giving up the act.

"Just... I was thinking about my parents. And theirs It's so stupid how some cats are heartless enough to abandon their kittens like that. Kittens need their parents more than anyone else and their parents just turn their back and leave them to die!" Munk put his arm around his friend's shoulders, who leaned into his friend's embrace and rested his head on Munk's shoulder, sniffing. The two sat in silence while Jenny and Jelly finished examining the kittens.

"Who wants food?" Jenny stood up and rubbed her paws together.

"Mee! Mee!" Tumblebrutus and Pouncival shouted, causing Plato to start crying again.

"Come on you, let's eat." Munkustrap pulled his friend to his feet and they followed Jenny and the kittens to her kitchen.

Munkustrap and Alonzo sat opposite Pouncival and Tumblebrutus as Jenny placed a mouse in front of each of them. The brothers were already bickering.

"I should get the bigger mouse, Pounce, since I'm the oldest." Tumblebrutus said, plucking the dead animal out of his brother's paws and replacing it with his own, smaller one.

"Yes but I'm younger than you and I need more food so I should get the bigger mouse." Pounce said, swapping them back immediately.

"That's stupid! I need to be big and strong so I can protect you!"

"No _you're_ stupid! Give it back!"

"It's mine!"

"But I had it first!"

"Stop it, both of you!" Jenny interrupted. The brothers looked at the floor. "If you both want it that badly, why don't we split it?" She took the mouse carefully and cut it in half with a slightly rusty knife. She handed one half to Tumble and the other to Pounce. They smiled, their argument forgotten, and started chewing on their half of the animal.

"Jenny the peacemaker." Alonzo whispered to Munkustrap, grinning. The silver tabby grinned back. The gumbie cat swatted him over his ear, smiling slightly.

"And what does Plato normally eat?" Jenny asked the kittens. They stared at each other wide eyed.

"Um... uh..." they spluttered, turning a bright red.

"Right." She said, understanding their embarrassment. "I'll ask the twins to steal some milk for him. Normally I wouldn't encourage stealing, but it looks like it's needed." She put her paws on her hips and watched the four toms eating. She nodded in satisfaction.

"Are they staying here?" Jenny asked Munkustrap quietly.

"If they want to, I guess."

"Will they have someone to stay with?"

"I don't know." He replied. There was a pause.

"They're sweet little things, aren't they?" Jenny cooed.

"Mm." Munk replied shortly, too busy eating to give a proper answer. There was another pause.

"I think... I think that if no one else wants to adopt them... and they want to stay... I think I might adopt them..." Munkustrap stopped mid-chew and stared at her, his eyes shining happily.

"You'll need to ask Skimble." Munk teased, earning a swat from a blushing Jenny. Everyone was certain that Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks were going to be mated at the next Jellicle Ball during the mating dance. The two cats were very much embarrassed at the topic, both blushing furiously whenever it was brought up. Neither of them denied it though.

"Anyway, I'll go look for Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer and ask them to steal the milk." And so she left, waving at the toms and stroking Plato's headfur. Alonzo and Munkustrap turned their attention to the kittens, who was trying to calm a crying Plato. They were making faces, and stroking his headfur, and trying to feed him bits of mouse, but to no avail. He kept crying. The two older brothers looked at each other.

 _"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,"_ Tumble started singing, slightly panicked.

 _"You make me happy, when skies are grey,"_ Pounce nodded and joined in.

 _"You'll never know, dear, how much I love you,_

 _Please don't take my sunshine away."_ Plato had stopped crying and was staring at his brothers, wide-eyed.

"Where did you learn that?" Alonzo asked quietly. They jumped and spun around, looking as if they had forgotten that the two older toms were there.

"Mummy used to sing that to us when we were little. And then she taught it to us when Plato was born." Tumble said sincerely. Alonzo smiled at the three brothers.

They would be inseparable.

Or so they thought.


	3. Rescue?

**Yay! Another chapter! Some action actually happens in this one so I hope u like it.**

Munkustrap lay sprawled sleepily on the tire in the late summer sun, half watching the kittens play and half reflecting on the year gone by. Jenny and Skimble had, indeed been mated at the Jellicle Ball (much to everyone's delight) and they had happily adopted Tumblebrutus, Pouncival, and Plato. Tumblebrutus was nearly an adult cat and Plato could speak, see and walk properly shortly after he became part of the tribe. Munkustrap's mother had run away to pursue a life of glamour and fame, which seemed to be going well so far. Then Munkustrap's older brother, Macavity had been exiled after his magic went haywire. Two more kittens had been born, Victoria and Electra, and cats had been found, some abandoned, some just injured and helpless. It has been a chaotic year. Then Munkustrap was woken from his trance by a shout.

"Tumble! Pounce! Plato! I thought I told you guys to stop putting glitter in my fur!" Munk looked up and saw a furious black and white tuxedo kitten chasing after the three brothers, covered from his ears to the tip of his tail in glitter. Tumble scooped up Plato, who was lagging behind, and they dashed off again, laughing hysterically. The other cat, Quaxo, gave up and pretended to try and get rid of the glitter. He then 'gave up' and sauntered off. He wasn't fooling anyone. Everyone knew he loved glitter and wouldn't miss a chance to be covered in it. Munkustrap chuckled to himself and lay back down and fell asleep.

Hours later he was woken up by another shout. He sat up and looked around, sniffing the air. He ran towards the source of the scream- and froze in shock. Some kind of cat was dragging Plato into the shadows of a bush. The poor kitten was wailing and trying to bite his captor's paws, but he was too small. The other cat held him with ease. Tumblebrutus and Pouncival were scratching and biting his captor, but again, they were simply too small and the cat in the shadows swatted them away like flies. Coming out of his trance, Munkustrap yelled for backup and lept into battle. He seemed to be gaining the upper hand and eventually, the older cat dropped Plato. The young kitten yelped and hid behind Munkustrap, badly hurt and terrified. Two more cats arrived at the scene and joined the fight - one of them was Helios, another Jellicle protector who was much older than Munk, and the other was Mercury, the last cat of the four Jellicle protectors. Helios took Tumblebrutus, Pouncival, and Plato out of the way and joined the fight with Munk and Mercury. Once the three older cats had given the stranger numerous scratches and bites, he fled. However, he obviously didn't want to leave without getting what he came for, so he scooped up Tumblebrutus (the nearest kitten) and dashed off. Munkustrap immediately organised a rescue party.

"Alonzo!" He yelled for his friend in the group of waiting Jellicles. "Take Skimble and block off West Alley! Mercury, go with Helios and guard North Street! Asparagus, Tugger, come with me. We're going to surround him at the park!" The named cats sped off to their assigned places.

Munkustrap raced to the park as fast as his legs could carry him. He had grown quite protective of the three brothers over the past year and to see one of them get kitnapped could quite possibly be one of his worst nightmares. He looked around the grassy clearing, eyes wide. It was quiet. Too quiet.

"Wait up, bro! I can move my hips for miles, but running is not my strong point!" Munkustrap turned to face his brother, Tugger, with a sigh.

"I can't see him..." Munk murmured, distressed.

"So where is he?" Asapragus Jr had caught up, panting. Munkustrap's mind raced through the streets and alleys as he tried to work out the way Tumblebrutus's captor could have gone. His friends had blocked any alternative routes so the cat should have ended up in the park... unless... Munkustrap mentally kicked himself. He was such a pollicle- the cat must have gotten on a boat in the Thames! It was so obvious now.

"The Thames!" He yelped and sped off again.

Munk skidded to a stop at the edge of the river, almost losing his balance and splashing into the murky water below. He looked along the river frantically, searching for clues. There were a few boats here and there, but Munkustrap couldn't see the kitten' captor on any of them. His eyes flicked over a barge, anchored a long way down the river, and he tensed up. Only one cat in London could own a barge like that- Growltiger. If Tumble had ended up in that boat, he was as good as dead. Munk slunk over to the boat cautiously, motioning for Tugger and Asparagus to stay where they were. As he got closer, his ears picked up traces of raucous laughter. He scaled a tree and craned his neck in order to get a better look at the barge. Between the leaves, the silver tabby spotted a large, grey cat with half an ear and an eyepatch standing in front of a black and brown tabby, who was holding a semi-conscious Tumblebrutus by the scruff of his neck.

"Fucking pirates." He hissed under his breath. His ears strained to hear their conversation.

"I found this one by the Jellicle Junkyard, sir." The brown cat spat, gesturing vaguely at Tumble. "Thought he migh' be useful."

"Very good, Grumbuskin. You never fail to find good additions to our crew." The grey cat smiled a grotesque smile. "Take him below and make him useful." The brown cat bowed and dragged Tumblebrutus below deck. Munkustrap dropped lightly from the tree and thought hard. It would be very unwise to fight the pirates without backup, they would seriously outnumber him. He could try talking to them, but who ever heard of a pirate who preferred to sit down with a cup of tea and talk about their problems and feeling? Munk scoffed at the image. His other option, however, would be to walk away and forget about the kitten forever. 'Talking it is' Munk thought. 'I'm screwed.' He strolled onto the barge casually, pretending he was supposed to be there. He could feel his heart pumping in his throat and the adrenaline coursing through his veins, supercharging his whole body until it shook like a leaf. He plastered a smile on his face as he approached Growltiger, the Terror of the Thames. He extended one paw towards the huge shabby cat.

"Good day, sir! Are you the Great Growltiger I hear about so often?"

"Yes... what do you want?" They shook hands, rather enthusiastically on Munkustrap's part.

"My name is... uh, Hyperion and I come to you to make an offer." Munkustrap said through his now aching jaws. He kept grinning.

"What kind of offer?" Munk could tell he had gotten the other cat's attention.

"I have heard so much about you and your wonderful, plentiful crew, and I was wondering if you would trade me one of your members for a plentiful sum of money?"

Growltiger hesitated, and then reluctantly said,

"Of course, Hyperion. Follow me please." Growltiger led him down a small flight of creaky wooden stairs and into the crew's quarters. Munkustrap looked around desperately, trying to find his friend.

"Take your pick, my friend. Although I warn you, a lot of them are very disobedient." A few pirate cats looked down at the floor. Finally, Munkustrap recognised Tumblebrutus. Aside from a few scratches and bruises (and the fact he was still fading in and out of consciousness) he looked unharmed. As Munk watched, some cats tried to wake him up by slapping him across the face. He winced at the sharp noise.

"Get him some water, Chaos." Growltiger... well... growled. A small-but-evil-looking queen nodded once and fetched Tumble the water. Meanwhile, Munkustrap made a great show of parading around the room, asking cats' names, and pretending to think about them. Instead, his mind was reeling, going over and over his ridiculous plan. Chaos returned with a rusty pail of dirty water. She chucked the contents on Tumblebrutus and he sat up, spluttering. His eyes surveyed the room and the cats, before stopping on the silver tabby.

"Munkustrap?" He whispered hoarsely.

"What did he say?" Growltiger snapped.

"He said Munkustrap, sir." Chaos replied, staring at Munk, who fiddled with his collar nervously.

"Who- who is this... Munkustrap, may I ask?" He stuttered, trying desperately to regain his usual confidence. His eyes flickered over to Growltiger, who was staring at him intently.

"What did you say your name was, cat?" Growltiger said, dangerously quiet.

"Hyperius, sir." Munkustrap replied, shaking dreadfully.

"No. Wrong. You said your name was Hyperion! You lied to me! And yes, now I think about it, you do look strangely familiar. Just like a certain Jellicle Protector, _Munkustrap_." Growltiger had Munk trapped in a corner. The silver tabby started to panic. He couldn't escape, he couldn't leave Tumblebrutus, and there was no way he was going to bluff his way out. He was going to die here. Or at least they were going to make him wish he did. 'Crap.' Munkustrap thought to himself.

"You intruder! You... you scoundrel! You shall be hanged! Or maybe burned alive!" Growltiger laughed evilly and made to hit Munkustrap over the head. Instead, he swiped at the thin air where Munk had been seconds before; he had rolled out of the way and made a break for the stairs. Unfortunately, the pirate cats were too afraid of their master to let him get away, so they grabbed at his legs and dragged him down. Munkustrap lay sprawled on the hard wooden floor, looking up fearfully at Growltiger, awaiting his death.


	4. Kill him

**If you're still reading this fanfic at this point, thank you. I don't really mind if you give up, but it does mean a lot to see people even reading my work! Hope you enjoy this next chapter! It's dramatic...**

 **-BLOOD AND ABUSE WARNING-**

"Where the hell is he?" Tugger mused to himself worriedly. He had gathered the other cats who were guarding the streets and they were pacing up and down the spot near where Munkustrap had last been seen. The last they knew, the tabby had scarpered off towards the Thames and then apparently dissolved into thin air. Some cats thought he had fallen in the river and drowned, others assumed he had run off somewhere else, and the rest had no idea. It was a complete and utter mystery.

"Let's see if he's at the Junkyard. He's obviously no where here and we have nowhere else to look." Helios reasoned. The cats resigned and trudged back home.

"Did you get Tumble back? Where's Munkustrap? What happened?" Pouncival fired questions at the cats the second they had slipped into the junkyard.

"No, we didn't get Tumblebrutus, I'm afraid. Is Munkustrap here? No? He disappeared while he was looking for Tumble. We thought he'd come back here, but obviously not. Don't worry, kits, we'll get them both back, I'm sure." Skimbleshanks replied sadly.

"Are they going to be ok, dad?" Plato whispered to the ginger railway cat, tugging on his waistcoat.

"They'll be just fine. Munkustrap is a strong, brave tom. He can look after himself and your brother just fine!"

"Tumble's big and strong too!" Pouncival insisted with tears that were threatening to spill down his cheeks any minute now.

"Oh of course he is, darling." Jennyanydots assured him kindly, bustling over to her mate and her adopted kittens. "I wouldn't doubt it. Well we can't do anything about it now. How about some dinner?" Jenny prepared mice for her family and they sat down together. Pouncival pushed the mice around a bit.

"I'm not hungry." He announced, standing up.

"You have to eat something, young man!" Jenny scolded him gently. To her surprise, Pouncival suddenly burst into tears. She hurried over to put her arms around him.

"Oh honey, I know you're worried about him, but we'll get him back." She cooed gently. "He wants you to eat something, I know he does. You need to grow big and strong, just like him, yeah?" The sobbing kitten calmed down slowly and then nodded through his sniffs. He sat down meekly and started nibbling at the mouse.

"Munkustrap what were you thinking?" Tumblebrutus hissed when Growltiger had left with Grumbuskin to decide their fate.

"I was going to rescue you, didn't you notice? And it would have worked if you'd've shut up!" Munk hissed back at the younger kitten. Suddenly, the door to the captain's cabin banged open, interrupting their argument.

"Right! Munkustrap, Kit- what did you say your name was?" Growltiger boomed.

"Tumblebrutus." The small tom said quietly.

"Tumblebrutus, sir." Grumbuskin corrected automatically. "What a stupid name." Growltiger glared at him, silently telling him to shut up.

"Munkustrap, Tumblebrutus, come with me please. We have decided your punishment." The two cats stood slowly and followed Growltiger up the creaky, wooden stairs. Grumbuskin grabbed Munk's paws and handcuffed them tightly around a pole. He then turned to Tumblebrutus and, to both of the Jellicles' surprise, handed him his sword.

"Kill him." He said, grinning like a madman and pointing to Munkustrap. The two friends looked at each other, eyes wide.

"I can't." Tumble said stubbornly.

"Do it, Tumblebrutus. Do it or they'll kill you." Munk growled at him. He looked at the sky, trying to will the tears away.

"No! I'm not going to kill you, Munk! I won't! I... I can't."

"You can! You have to! I'm not letting them kill you."

"No, Munk-"

"Kill me! Kill me, Tumblebrutus!" The tears spilled freely down Munkustrap's face now as he shouted at his friend. He strained against his handcuffs.

"Enough!" Growltiger roared. He strode over to the two Jellicles, snatched the sword from Tumblebrutus's shaking paws, and turned to glare at Munkustrap.

"I'm not going to kill you immediately. You're going to bleed to death on the streets and when your pathetic little friends find you, they'll know never to mess with me or my crew. They'll all know that I killed 'the brave Munkustrap, protector of Jellicles.' I'll be feared worldwide!" Growltiger murmured, walking around Munk slowly as if he was inspecting him. Then suddenly, he plunged the sword deep in Munkustrap's shoulder. The tabby yelled in agony.

"Munkustrap!" Tumble shouted and made to run to his friend's aid, but was stopped by a wilting glare from Grumbuskin.

"Goodbye, Munkustrap." Growltiger hissed, twisting the sword a bit and then pulling it out. Munk's knees buckled and he fell to the floor.

"Any last words?" Grumbuskin chuckled as he hauled the bleeding cat to his feet. Munkustrap glared at the pirates. He spat at Growltiger's feet angrily, and with that, he was chucked over the side of the boat. He heard distant echoing laugher, and then a sickening crunch as his aching body crumpled on the bank of the river. His head hit the floor and then everything went black.

Tumblebrutus stood frozen to the spot as he stared at his friend's mangled body. A small pool of blood was already spreading around Munkustrap's shoulder and head. Then the tears started to fall.

"It's my fault. His stupid plan would have worked if I'd have just kept my mouth shut!" He whispered to himself through sobs.

"What was that?" Grumbuskin sneered, grabbing him roughly by the scruff of his neck.

"N-n-nothing."

"That's what I thought. On your knees, scum." Grumbuskin shoved him to the floor. Then Tumblebrutus felt a sharp pain spreading across his back. He yelled in agony. Grumbuskin's whip hit him again and again, leaving bloody gashes criss-crossing his back. Suddenly, the whipping stopped.

"Obey your master! You belong to him! Do you understand?" Grumbuskin barked. Tumblebrutus just whimpered. Grumbuskin hit him again.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Tumble cried.

"Good." Grumbuskin pulled him to his feet. The two cats glared at each other. And then Tumblebrutus's eyes rolled back and he collapsed again on the wooden deck. Grumbuskin picked him up and carried the unconscious cat downstairs to the crew's quaters. He dumped the cat on a vacant bed and looked at the watching cats.

"Clean him up." He ordered, heading back towards the stairs. He heard the cats hurrying to tend to the unconscious cat. A paw touched his shoulder lightly and he spun to glare at the cat behind him.

"What do you want, Chaos?" Grumbuskin sighed.

"What did he do?" The black queen purred, moving to stand closer to him.

"You know what he did. You were there. Now help the rest of the crew before they have to wipe your blood off the deck too." He snapped.

"Of course, Grumbuskin." Chaos walked off, swaying her hips as she did so. 'She may be a pain in the ass, but she knows not to cross me' Grumbuskin thought smugly. He climbed the steep stairs and reported to his boss's cabin.

"The newbie's downstairs, unconscious. He blacked out after the flogging."

"Good, good. How many did you give him?"

"Twenty." Grumbuskin replied. Growltiger smiled.

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh for disobedience?" He asked. "Not that I'm complaining, of course."

"He was a Jellicle, sir. If I could, I would hang the lot of them. They're no good." Grumbuskin replied.

"Fair enough. Raise the anchor. I want to go up north." Grumbuskin saluted and left the cabin to bark more orders at the crew.

 **Oh and also, I need help. If any of u have suggestions for names of cats in Growltiger's crew that you want me to use, please message me or something! Feel free to include a description and personality! Thank you so much 3**


	5. Joining the pirates

Tumblebrutus cracked his eyes open slowly. The first thing he noticed was the rocking of the bed underneath him. He realised he was on a boat. The next thing he noticed was the big white cat peering down at him. They had odd eyes, one was sky blue and the other was a deep green. They blinked and then the cat's face moved away to look behind them.

"He's awake!" He called. A group of other cats crowded around the bed, watching him. Tumble tried to sit up, and that was when he noticed the third and final thing - the excruciating pain in his back and head. The memory of what happened before he was knocked out hit him like a speeding truck. The white cat's paw pushed him back gently.

"Tumblebrutus, was it?" He asked. Tumble nodded slowly.

"I'm Laika. This is Bartholemew, Emerdon, Celestea, Rathiek, Diabolito, Klaus, and I believe you've met Chaos." The cats nodded when their name was said (and Chaos just sneered). Tumblebrutus was sure he would never remember any of their names.

"You had quite a beating up there. How are you feeling?" Laika asked.

"Sore." Tumble said. The white cat smiled sadly.

"Thought so. You just take it easy, yeah? If Grumbuskin gives you any crap, tell him that I said to lay off the beating a bit if he wants functional slaves." The two cats grinned at each other.

"Is it true you're a Jellicle? Was that really Munkustrap?" A ginger tom, Klaus, asked curiously.

"Yeah." Tumble sighed.

"What happened to him?" A brown and white queen spoke up.

"He- he's dead." Tumble's voice broke. "You're Celestea, right?" He asked, trying to force the images of his friend's body from his mind. The queen nodded, smiling sadly.

"Forget about the Jellicles, runt. They won't find you now. And even if they did, they wouldn't be able to save you." Tumblebrutus looked at the manx cat that had spoken. He blinked at the sudden hostility.

"I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Rathiek." He spat. The cats seemed to have gotten bored of his questioning so they turned around and returned to their beds, some to talk with others, some to just sleep. Tumble glanced around the room. It was dark and dingy, and wasn't kept very neat. A layer of dust covered the floor under the furniture. A stream of light pooled in through a single porthole at the back and he could just about see the sun nearing its peak in the sky.

"I used to be a part of the Jellicles, you know." Celestea smiled gently, sitting down in the edge of his bed. Tumble looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm not any more. Obviously."

"What- what happened? If you don't mind me asking..." He stammered.

"It's ok. They found me when I was a kitten and took me in. I never knew my parents. Then I grew up and I developed psychic powers. Quite a few of the other cats didn't trust me. And then one day I accidentally came across another cat's thoughts and found out some of her secrets. I accidentally spilled them to one of my few friends, who then spread them everywhere, of course. The other queen turned on me and we fought. I didn't mean to kill her..." Celestea's golden eyes shone with tears. "I was exiled from the tribe but I still lived nearby. I wanted to stay with my mate, you see. He looked after me. I gave birth to twins about a year later. They joined the tribe, but weren't very popular at first. They made friends, though. And then when I was kidnapped by Growltiger , I was pregnant again, with Arelion here." She gestured to a small kitten that Tumble hadn't noticed before, sleeping behind her. He looked alarmingly like Plato, and Tumble was hit with a sudden surge of homesickness. "I never saw any of the Jellicles again. Until now." She smiled warmly at him. "Arelion is all I have left of my family."

"I'm so sorry... um... who- who was your mate? I might know him."

"His name was Mercury. My kittens are Coricopat and Tantomile." Tumblebrutus's ears pricked up. He sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in his back.

"Mercury's the head protector! He fought Grumbuskin when he tried to take me! And I know Cori and Tants too, they're my friends!"

"Oh thank the everlasting cat they're all ok!" More tears threatened to spill from Celestea's eyes. "I wish I could see them one more time though..."

"You will." Tumble promised, hoping he wasn't just spouting empty words. The two cats were talking about the tribe for what seemed like hours. The rest of the crew just left them to it, having heard all about Celestea's friends and family before. Suddenly, the door banged open and Growltiger entered the room. Arelion woke up and started wailing. It was hard to believe that such a tiny being could make a noise that loud.

"Alright you lot. We're about to stop in Newcastle. I've agreed to meet a certain cat. I want to impress them. This barge will be spotless in two hours sharp. And shut that thing up!" He barked over Arelion's crying. Celestea rushed to her son to try to calm him as soon as Growltiger left the cabin. Meanwhile, the other cats started to organise the cleaning rota. Tumble ran to help Celestea, biting back a yelp of pain from his back.

"Is there anything I can do?" He whispered to the queen.

"If you can think of something then please do say, I've tried everything!" She whispered back.

"I have an idea." He replied. She looked at him expectantly, waiting. He cleared his throat and started to sing.

 _"You are my sunshine,_

 _My only sunshine,_

 _You make me happy,_

 _When skies are grey._

 _You'll never know dear,_

 _How_ _much I love you,_

 _Please don't take my sunshine away."_

By the end of his song, Arelion was gazing up at him with his big blue eyes, silent once again. Celestea stared at him. Suddenly, Tumblebrutus realised he was crying and he hurried to wipe away the offending tears.

"You have such a wonderful voice. Where did you learn that song?"

"It- my mother taught it to my brother and me before- before she left us. We used to sing it to my youngest brother, Plato, when he was tiny. He looks so much like him." Celestea put a paw on his shoulder.

"You'll get back to them, I promise." She said softly. Tumblebrutus sniffed.

"Tumble, Cel, get your lazy asses over here and come help with the cleaning!" One of the cats, Bartholemew, called from the door before turning to leave with a bucket of water and a sponge. The two cats hurried to gather the remaining cleaning supplies and they got to work.

Demeter curled up in a tight ball on her bed and promptly started crying. Two of her friends were missing, probably dead, and there didn't seem to be any way to find them! She looked up suddenly when the door to her room creaked open. Her sister's face peeked around the door and Demeter turned away, ashamed of her tears. Bombalurina hurried over to hug her sister tightly.

"Oh Deme, don't cry! We'll find them, it's ok... shh, shh don't worry! They'll be fine!" There was a pause.

"You don't understand."

"Well then... help me to." Demeter just sniffed. "Deme?"

"I loved him, Bomba! I loved Munkustrap! And now he's gone and I'm never gonna get to tell him!" Demeter wailed.

"Oh Deme, I'm so sorry, hon... but don't worry- we'll get him back for you and you can tell him as soon as he gets here, and then you shall be mated at the next ball and you can have twelve hundred little kittens and you'll live happily ever after!"

"Bomba!" The gold and black queen shoved her sister playfully, half laughing and half crying. "But what if he's dead?" Demeter asked quietly, serious again, gazing up at her older sister.

"He's not dead." Bombalurina said firmly. "He may be brave and strong, but he's not stupid. It's not like he'd just go walking straight into Growltiger's barge or something, is it?"

"I guess not..." Came the reply. Demeter just hoped that Bomba was right.

Tumblebrutus finished cleaning the floors five minutes before his two hour timeframe was over. He stretched and wiped his forehead with the back of his paw. His back ached like mad from a mixture of the beating and from bending over for so long. He picked up the cleaning supplies and went to put them back in the crew's quarters. Just as he was shutting the door behind him as he cane out, he heard a shout:

"Get up here you lot!" It was Grumbuskin, and Tumblebrutus already knew he shouldn't even think about disobeying him, so he raced up the stairs and onto the deck. The crew was lining up along one side of the barge and Tumblebrutus jumped onto the back of the line. As he watched, Growltiger climbed into onto the ship, arm in arm with a curvy white queen. Her arms and neck were adorned with tons of jewellery and she had a face full of makeup. She was beautiful, but in a disgustingly fake way. Growltiger looked impossibly ragged and dirty next to her.

"Lady Griddlebone, this is my crew. They will not get in your way during your stay on my barge." Growltiger said with a pointed glare at the cats, who all seemed to curl into themselves.

"Oh aren't they just delightful!" She cooed, pinching Chaos's cheek and giggling an annoying, high pitched giggle. She had a thick American accent. Growltiger smiled grotesquely and bowed, guiding her into his cabin. Griddlebone smiled and pranced into the room, Growltiger right on her heels. He slammed the door behind him. The pirate cats looked at each other nervously.

"Griddlebone?" Some of them whispered to each other. "He wanted to see Griddlebone? Why does he want to impress her?"

"Who- who's Griddlebone?" Tumblebrutus asked.

"Who's Griddlebone? Only the most wanted thief in London! The only reason she's never been caught is because there's no evidence against her. Everyone knows she committed the crime, but there's no proof. People say she taught Macavity a few things... or vice versa, no one's quite sure." Laika said.

"So... what does Growltiger want to steal?" Laika just raised his eyebrows.

"I hope it's something expensive." Chaos grinned, sliding over to Grumbuskin's side. "What do you hope it is, sugar?"

"A noose." He looked down at her and then stalked back off to his cabin.

"He loves you really." Diabolito nodded at the black queen, smirking slightly. She stuck her tongue out at him and returned to the crew's quarters, the rest of the crew following a few strides behind.

 **Well this took longer than expected to write! Yeah, sorry about that... anyway, the names Klaus, Diabolito, and Bartholemew were suggested by Purplesprout, so thank you so much for that! And Emerdon came from a website, but I have no idea which one!**


	6. Macavity?

**Well I'm not quite happy with this chapter, but eh. I hope you enjoy this one and thanks again to anyone still bothering to read this :)**

Munkustrap opened his eyes sleepily. He moaned slightly and glanced around at his surroundings, trying to recognise where he was. There was a large chest of drawers in one corner and a wardrobe in another. A mirror stood on a dresser, next to a dusty, red lamp. He shot up like a bullet and then yelled out at the searing pain that shot though his shoulder. His eyes caught sight of motion in his peripheral vision and he spun to look at it, sighing in relief when he realised it was just his reflection. Then, a big ginger tom cat poked his head into the doorway at the noise. Munkustrap stared at the face.

"Macavity?" He asked incredulously.

"Yep. Still the same as I ever was." Replied the tom.

"Why am I here?" He demanded.

"You were almost dead when I found you lying on the street, so I picked you up and brought you here. I wasn't sure I could help but obviously I did."

"So you didn't just kidnap me? And why did you save me? You could have left me to die."

"You may be a jerk but you're still my brother, Munk. I couldn't just let you die."

"Thanks, asshole." The two cats grinned at each other. Then Macavity turned and walked back the way he came. Munk followed him, looking around curiously, occasionally sticking his head around doors.

"You're like Tugger!" His older brother laughed. "You're so curious. Ever heard of the phrase: curiosity killed the cat?"

"Yeah but it finishes: but satisfaction brought it back." Munkustrap replied, joining Macavity in the kitchen. "So what have you been up to these past few months, Mac? I haven't seen you for ages!"

"Oh... stuff... you know..." Macavity said awkwardly.

"Oh yes! Stuff! Very, very interesting..." Munk teased, punching the ginger cat lightly on the shoulder.

"Just... working on my magic." He said vaguely. Munk nodded, opening cupboards at random with his good arm, looking for food.

"Ok, Mr Mysterious, keeping it vague are we? Got any food?"

"I want to tell you, Munk, but I can't, ok! I just can't." Macavity turned away from his younger brother. Munk cocked his head to the side.

"Why not?"

"Because... because you'd hate me."

"What did you do, Mac? What've you done?" There was no trace of teasing in Munkustrap's face or voice and he'd stopped scouring the cupboards. Macavity stared at the floor for ages, weighing up his options. Then he looked back up at the silver cat, green eyes blazing.

"No, you know what, it's not really any of your buisness." He said. Munk blinked. "I don't have to tell you. So stop asking."

"Mac..." Munkustrap paused. "Please tell me. I can help you. I'm your brother- I won't hate you." Macavity stared at him.

"I killed 9 more cats." He whispered.

"Mac- what?"

"I killed 9 cats!" Macavity yelled. "I lost my temper and I killed them. Just like that! But that's not the worst thing. I don't regret it! I'm glad I killed them! They were annoying as fuck and they all deserved to die!" Munkustrap stared at him, alarmed. He knew his brother had a short temper and he was eccentric and slightly mad, (heck- his whole family was!) but this was something else. It wasn't like his brother to kill simply because he was pissed off. This was a different kind of mad. Scary mad. I'm-gonna-kill-you mad. I-need-professional-help mad. And it made Munk's fur bristle.

"Mac, you don't mean that. I'm sure you're just scared, or something. You're not a bad cat, Macavity. You're still good inside."

"You're scared of me." Macavity stated. He continued to stare at his younger brother as his shoulders started shaking violently. "I don't want to be a monster, Munk." He sobbed angrily. Somehow this scared Munkustrap more. He'd never, ever seen his big brother cry before. He'd seen him angry, scared, happy, sad, he'd even seen him in love. But crying was unheard of. He went over to the ginger cat cautiously and put his arms around him, trying not to tweak his aching shoulder, but Macavity only slapped his paws away, angrily wiping the tears from his eyes.

"I don't need your pity, Munkustrap. Go back to the Jellicles and forget about me. Pretend I never existed."

"I'm not going to do that."

"Yes you are. You're going to do as I say if I have to knock you out and drag you there."

"Go on then." Munkustrap curled his paws into fists and held them up in a fighting stance. To his surprise, Macavity only laughed bitterly and ruffled his headfur. Munk scowled at his brother.

"Come on then, you want some coffee or something?" Macavity said.

"You got any tea?" Munk asked. Macavity turned to look at him.

"What are you? British?"

"We're in London, Mac." Macavity chuckled and prepared two mugs of tea. The two cats sat opposite each other on identical cushions, sipping the steaming drinks. They talked about each other's lives for a while. Suddenly, Macavity sighed heavily and put his mug down, glaring at his brother. Munkustrap looked at him with wide eyes.

"You're still scared of me! Why don't you trust me? Do you seriously think I would hurt you?" The older tom demanded.

"I'm not scared of you! What makes you think that?" Munk said. Macavity blinked.

"Your tail's fluffed and you haven't stopped looking around since you sat down." Munkustrap flicked the offending tail behind his back and held Macavity's gaze. The ginger tom stood up suddenly. "God damn it Munkustrap! I know-" The older cat's paw swiped across the table, sending the mugs flying. Munk's reflexes kicked in and he snatched it from the air. Then a burst of pain shot through his shoulder and he yelped loudly, dropping the mug again and holding his shoulder.

"M-Munk? What happened?" Munkustrap took his paw from his shoulder and inspected it. His fingertips were covered in a crimson liquid. He looked back up at Macavity, his green eyes wide with shock.

"Oh god. Here, let me try and heal you." Macavity bustled over to the smaller cat and placed his paws on the wound. Munkustrap felt the ginger cat's paws warm up slightly and he twisted to see what he was doing. Macavity was scowling at his paws and growling something under his breath. Eventually he sighed and sat back on his haunches.

"You must have reopened the wound when you stretched for the mug. I don't have enough energy to heal you again- I'm still recovering from last time. I'm taking you back to the Jellicles. They can help."

"I'm fine, Mac. Don't worry about me."

"Nice try. Can you walk? How's your knee?" Macavity said.

"I'll be fine! What do you mean 'how's your knee?'" Munk asked.

"Oh, did I not tell you? You had shattered your kneecap but I fixed it. Mostly." Narrowing his eyes, Munkustrap stood up and followed his brother out of the door and onto the street.

"Come on Munk, keep up. We're nearly there!" Macavity turned to his younger brother, who was leaning against a tree, eyes closed as if he was asleep. The fur around his shoulder seemed saturated with blood. "Munk?" The silver tabby's eyes flew open and he rushed ahead of his brother, grabbing his arm and pulling him forwards. Macavity couldn't help but notice he was limping badly.

"I'm fine. Come on." Munkustrap said. Mac hurried after him. After a few steps, Munk's knees buckled and he would have collapsed right there on the floor if Macavity hadn't caught him.

"That's what I thought." He hoisted his brother up into a fireman's lift and continued the walk to the junkyard. Soon he was panting. The sun had reached it's peak in the sky and his semi-conscious cargo seemed to only get heavier with every step he took. Suddenly he heard a shout from behind him.

"Macavity!?" He swivelled on his heel and saw a grey and black cat hurrying towards him. "Munkustrap?" She called. He let down his brother and held him against his side protectively as the queen came to a stop before him. She took his face in her paws and turned his head side to side, looking him over. Then she did the same to Munkustrap, who growled sleepily. Macavity jerked the tabby's half-limp body from her paws and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Hello mother."


	7. Recovery

Grizabella was wearing a black sequined dress that glinted in the sun. Her face was covered in makeup and she wore elegant jewellery around her wrists and neck. Her movements were exaggerated, like she had spent too much time performing and had forgotten how to be normal.

"Oh Munku, Mac, I've missed you so much!" She said, seeming to completely miss the blood seeping from Munkustrap's shoulder.

"Yeah, great, now if you'll excuse us, we need to get back to the junkyard before your beloved son bleeds to death." Macavity snapped angrily before turning away and continuing his walk.

"What happened?" The queen asked, shock spreading across her face.

"Wouldn't you like to know." He hissed.

"I can help, I know healers!"

"The only healer he needs right now is back in the Junkyard. And you're standing in the way of that. Leave us alone!"

"Jenny?" Munk said drowsily.

"Yeah, Jenny." Mac replied. He turned away from their mother and kept walking. He soon heard footsteps behind him and he knew that she was following him. He spun around to shout at her.

"Leave us alone! You've done it once, you can do it again! Just fuck off!" He could tell he'd struck a nerve by the look in her eyes, and he knew he should feel guilty - but he didn't. He didn't care for this cat before him because she didn't care for him. She didn't think about any of her family when she ran off for her life of fame. All she truly seemed to care for was money.

"I just miss my sons." She whispered. "Is that such a crime?"

"Not in itself. But you abandoned us. When you left, I was so upset that my own magic turned against me. It corrupted me. I got expelled from the Jellicles. Tugs and Munk, they wanted to turn to you. They wanted you to be there for them when they needed you the most. Yet you were off, screwing some other tom who isn't our father for nothing more than money. You sold your voice and your body to other cats who treated you like dirt, yet you chose that life over the one you left? Why? Why, Grizabella?" He refused to call her mum. Tears started to fall down her face, ruining her makeup and spoiling her confident and joyful act. "Please go away." Macavity pleaded. "Munk's losing more blood by the minute and I don't know how many of those he's got left. Grizabella said nothing. The ginger tom turned around once more and kept walking back to the junkyard. His mother didn't follow him this time.

Macavity half dragged his brother though the gates to the junkyard. He was exhausted and, quite frankly, terrified for the health of his brother. He looked up as another cat approached him, unsure.

"Macavity." The silver tom said dangerously. "What did you do?" Macavity met Mercury's eyes.

"I tried to save him. I found him unconscious on the bank of the river Thames with numerous injuries. I took him to my den, tried to heal him and let him recover. But when he woke up, he accidentally re-opened his wound. Now he keeps losing blood and I'm too weak to use magic to heal him. So I brought him back to you. I may resent my brother most of the time but I don't want to kill him, Mercury. I wish you would understand that." Mercury sighed and took Munkustrap from the ginger tom.

"Leave. We'll take care of him from here. You've done enough." Mercury said. Macavity sighed, exhausted, and left the junkyard again. Mercury ran with the smaller tom in his arms all the way to the infirmary. He swung the door open.

"Jenny! Jenny!" He called desperately. The queen walked into sight, about to scold him for being too loud. Suddenly, she saw the unconscious tom.

"Munkustrap? What's wrong with him?"

"He's lost a lot of blood and suffered a lot more injuries. I don't know what but you need to help him." She nodded and gestured for him to bring the tabby in. He was placed on a table and Jenny got to work. To Mercury, it looked like acupuncture. Jenny stuck so many needles into poor Munk that he could have been a hedgehog. Soon, she looked up at the anxious tom.

"Get Jellylorum and Zoe, please, Mercury. Tell them it's urgent." The usually light-hearted queen looked like she had the weight of the world dumped on her shoulders. The head protector nodded once and raced from the room. He found the two other queens talking with Jellylorum's brother, Asparagus Jr.

"Jelly, Zoe, Jenny wants you to come to the infirmary. It's urgent." The two queens looked at each other and followed him back to the infirmary. Zoe entered the infirmary first. The red and white queen clapped her paws over her mouth when she saw who was lying on the bed. Jelly had the same reaction as her friend. The two queens were frozen to the spot. Jenny called her friends over, snapping them out of their trance, and the three got to work. They could only hope they weren't too late.

A week later, Munkustrap opened his eyes again. The Jellicles had been told of his return, but they were also warned that they should leave him alone for him to recover. A week or so later, however, Munk was up and limping around the junkyard. The second he left the infirmary, he was bombarded with questions.

"Are you ok?"

"What happened?"

"Where did you go?"

"Where's Tumble?"

"Is he dead?"

"Is-"

"I'm fine, thanks. Tumblebrutus has been captured by Growltiger." The surrounding cats gasped.

"Tell us the whole story, son." Old Deuteronomy spoke up from where he was sitting nearby. Munk nodded.

"Well, as most of you know, Tumble was taken by a cat a few weeks ago now. I followed that cat to the Thames, where he got on a Barge. I watched them and realised that that was Growltiger's barge, so I made a plan - a stupid plan. I walked onto the barge and I tried to buy Tumble back. Unfortunately, Growltiger soon saw through my disguise and-" Munk glanced around at the kittens, who were listening intently to his story, not wanting to give them too many of the gory details. "Well, he hurt me and threw me off the barge." Munk indicated to the partially scabbed-over shoulder wound. "I would have bled to death if Macavity hadn't found me." More gasps from the cats. "He saved me. He took me to his den and tried to heal my injuries. Stupidly, I managed to reopen the cut on my shoulder and it bled a lot, so Macavity took me back here. And you know the rest." Munk looked around at the astounded cat's faces. He scanned the crowd, looking for two faces in particular. When he didn't find them, he grew worried. Eventually, his green eyes picked out two smaller cats, hiding in the shadows of a nearby box and he frowned. One was hugging the other tightly, and they both seemed to be shaking. As the Jellicles dispersed, having realised that storytime was over, Munkustrap went over to the box.

"Pounce? Plato? Can I come in?" The two kittens jumped at his voice.

"Munk?"

"Yeah. It's me." The tabby crawled into the small space, trying not to crowd them. "I just wanted to check on you. How're you holding up?"

"We're fine." Pouncival said, smoothing out his ruffled headfur. Munk paused, looking into the two kittens' eyes. Both pairs were red from what he assumed was a mixture of crying and sleep deprivation.

"We'll get him back. I promise." Munk hoped his voice sounded confident. He wasn't quite sure who he was reassuring- the kittens or himself. They just nodded. "Look, go get some sleep. You can help me search for him in the morning, if you like?"

"He's on Growltiger's barge, Munk! He could be millions of miles away by now if he hasn't already been killed!" Plato yelled. Munk blinked.

"He's got a point, Play. We're no use to him if we're half asleep." Pounce told him sadly. The three cats crawled out of the box. Plato and Pounce went back to their den to rest, and Munk left to patrol the fence.

"What are you doing out here? You should be resting! You could have died!" Munkustrap turned to face the queen that had spoken, a smile resting on his lips.

"I'm fine, Demeter. You don't need to worry about me." To his surprise, she took this as her cue to fling herself at him, sobbing. Munk's eyes widened in shock and he instinctively wrapped his arms around the crying cat.

"You scared the hell out of me! Please don't ever disappear like that ever again!" Demeter whispered. Munk sighed, smiling slightly.

"I'll try." He whispered back. She pouted at him, pulling away.

"Not quite what I wanted but it'll do." She said, her face melting to a watery smile. "Have you seen Bomba? I've been looking for her everywhere."

"No, sorry Deme. I'll keep an eye out, though." The gold and black queen nodded and turned to walk away. Suddenly, Munk was struck with a thought. He hurried to the door of a nearby den, all thoughts of his patrol forgotten. He knocked once and waited. No reply.

"Mercury?" He called. "Its me, Munkustrap. Let me in, please?" There was a pause. Then the makeshift door in front of him opened slowly, revealing a tall, silver and white cat. Mercury's eyes were red and his shoulders were slumped. He gestured for Munk to come in. The two toms sat down in the small living room, on cushions that had been arranged to form chairs.

"Do you want something to drink?" Mercury asked. Munk declined. "So... what brings you here? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I should." Munk answered. "But I wanted to talk to you first. Uh, how are you doing, Mercury?"

"I'm doing fine." He answered shortly.

"You seem upset. What's wrong?" Mercury just shook his head and looked at his paws. Munk paused, biting his lip nervously.

"When I was on board Growltiger's ship, I had a chance to meet the crew. It was only briefly, but I- I recognised someone you might know." He picked his words carefully. Mercury looked up. "I saw Celestea. She's still alive. I promise you, we will do anything we can to get both Tumblebrutus and your mate back here alive and well." Mercury stared at him, his eyes watering.

"I- I want to help. I couldn't get her back the first time. I want to help get her back now." Munk nodded.

"You're head protector, Mercury. We just do what you say."

"Should I tell Coricopat and Tantomile?"

"I think they deserve to know." So Mercury left to find his kittens, while Munkustrap returned to his shift at the fence.

"Pounce?" Pouncival opened his eyes and looked up at the source of the small voice at the door. His brother, Plato, was standing there, his blue eyes wide.

"What's up, buddy?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"C-can I sleep in your bed tonight?" Plato stammered.

"Of course!" Pounce shuffled over to one side and patted the empty cushions by his side. Plato slipped gratefully beside his brother.

"What's wrong?" Pouncival asked the smaller kitten.

"I can't sleep. I'm worried about him." Plato said, burying into the cushions and blankets.

"Me too. But he'll be ok. We'll get him back." Pounce wrapped his arms around his brother and hugged him tightly. Eventually, the two kittens fell asleep, both trying desperately to ignore the older-brother-sized hole in their hearts.

 **Yes, I did name a character after me. You'll see why later. Idk what else to say. The next chapter will be up soon!**


	8. Night in the town

**Sorry this one has taken to long to be published! Please read the note at the end...**

"Rise and shine, Runt. Griddlebone wants her breakfast in her cabin. You better hurry. You're already late." Tumblebrutus cracked his eyes open and peered at the manx cat hovering above him. Rathiek snickered as Tumble flew out of bed and out the door to the kitchens. In the past month or so, he had somehow managed to gain some of Growltiger's trust and had been promoted to 'Bosun'. Tumble still had no idea what that meant, but so far it included polishing the cannons and stacking the cannonballs. But, it was better that Grumbuskin's favourite punching bag so Tumblebrutus just got on with it. He burst into the tiny kitchen down the corridor and grabbed the plate of mackerel that Celestea had prepared earlier. When he reached Griddlebone's cabin, he paused to catch his breath. Then he knocked on the door.

"Come in!" The high-pitched voice called from inside. Tumblebrutus pushed the door open carefully and stepped inside. Griddlebone was stretched out on her bed, running a pearl-studded collar through her paws. She eyed him suspiciously as he presented her with the food.

"I- I am so sorry it is late, m'lady. I overslept and no one bothered to wake me up until about a minute ago."

"I don't need to know the story, honey. Just give me the food." She stretched out her paw. He placed the plate gently in it and stepped away, just like he'd been taught (he'd learnt the hard way). Griddlebone sniffed the mackerel. Then she turned up her nose and practically threw it back at Tumble.

"I-is it not to your liking, m'lady?"

"No. Tell the cook- what's her name? Celery?"

"Celestea, m'lady."

"Whatever. Tell her that her mackerel is disgusting and vile and I want a plate of salmon right away." She said. Tumblebrutus wanted to raise his eyebrows and roll his eyes, but he knew better than to question her. Instead, he bowed out of the room, never turning his back on her as if she was the queen, and rushed off to the kitchens with the plate of mackerel. Celestea looked up at him when he entered the room, banging the door on the wall behind it as he did so.

"Cel! We need a plate of salmon for the hideous lady in cabin 2!" He joked after checking that no one else was around. The two cats had become quite good friends and sometimes Tumble thought she was the reason he hadn't pitched himself off the side of the boat already.

"Did she not like the mackerel?" Celestea stopped what she was doing.

"Nope." Tumblebrutus shrugged.

"Fine. I'll eat it."

"Fight me." Tumble grinned as he popped one of the mackerel fillets in his mouth. He gave the other one to Celestea to prove he was only joking. "Need help?"

"No, you help with the cleaning. I'll take the salmon to Griddle." Tumblebrutus nodded and went to help the other cats with the cleaning.

Later that evening, Tumblebrutus sat on the edge of his bed and put his head in his paws. He was exhausted. His back felt like it was ablaze (Grumbuskin had found out about the Mackerel incident that morning, so he and Celestea got another beating.). Tumblebrutus thought his back and paws were more scar tissue that actual skin. Suddenly, a thought struck him.

"Laika, what's the date today?" He asked the white cat, who was lying on his back with his rear paws propped up on the wall. Laika got up and went to the cupboard in the corner. He took out some sort of small device and studied it.

"It's the 9th of June. Why?" Tumble pasued.

"It's my birthday today. I'm officially a fully-grown tom." He sighed.

"Happy birthday!" Some of the cats congratulated him.

"Damm. I can't call you runt anymore." Rathiek said from his bed. He looked genuinely disappointed.

"Nah, he still looks like a runt to me." Diabolito nudged his friend with his paw. No one spoke again for a while. Eventually, Celestea broke the awkward silence.

"Right, well, I'm going to make dinner for Growltiger and Griddlebone. See you later."

"Need help?" Tumblebrutus jumped at the opportunity to leave the crew's quarters. The tension in the air was killing him. He padded after Celestea as they walked to the kitchen. Soon they had prepared nothing less than a feast for Growltiger and his queenfriend. There was rabbit, mackerel (they hoped Griddlebone wouldn't mind), tuna, chicken, and even a side of caviar! Celestea took the food to the captain's cabin and Tumble went back to the crew's quarters, under strict orders from Celestea to relax and try and enjoy himself.

Celestea knocked on the door, trying not to drop the plates that were piled up on her arms.

"Come in!" A gravelly voice barked from the other side. Celestea pushed the door open and placed the food on the table in Growltiger's cabin. She watched as the captain scanned the food hungrily, occasionally picking something up and sniffing it. Finally, he looked at her.

"This looks good, chef. You may leave now."

"Um, sir?" Celestea asked timidly.

"What?"

"It is one of my fellow crew mate's birthdays today. He is a fully grown tom, now. I was hoping, if you would be so kind, you may let him have the night off. I would be eternally grateful. He has been good to me and the other cats." She fiddled with her own fingers as she spoke, not daring to look him in the eyes.

"Send him to me." He said.

"Yes sir. Enjoy your meal, sir." She walked backwards out the room so she wouldn't turn her back on him and then ran back to the crew's quarters to fetch Tumblebrutus, wondering if she had messed everything up. He was asleep on his bed, snoring lightly. Arelion was curled up next to his chest. Celestea smiled at the sight. She shook Tumble's arm gently and he opened his coppery eyes to look at her.

"Hello." He murmured drowsily.

"Growltiger wants to see you in his cabin. I'd be quick if I were you." She whispered. Tumble nodded and stretched, accidentally disturbing Arelion. The small kitten yawned and blinked at the two cats around him. His eyes were already starting to change from blue to a sort of yellow, by the look of it. Tumblebrutus ruffled Arelion's headfur playfully.

"Bye, Lion. See you later."

"Bye, Bumble." Celestea and Tumblebrutus grinned at the kitten's still-faulty speech. He still couldn't say Tumble's name right. When Celestea had explained the situation, Tumble walked off to Growltiger's cabin, trying to stop his hands from shaking with nerves. He knew Celestea was only trying to be kind, but what if she'd landed him in deep trouble. Growltiger was famously unpredictable. He knocked on the door. When Growltiger called him in, he entered quietly, shutting the door behind him. Griddlebone was in the room too. Their eyes tracked Tumblebrutus as he padded to the centre of the room.

"A little birdy told me that it's your birthday today." Growltiger spoke up.

"Yes, sir."

"Happy birthday." Griddlebone said.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Since you have been so loyal to me this past month and it is now your birthday, I am going to give you the night off. I am feeling quite generous tonight. But, be warned. If you run away, we will just find you again. We know where the junkyard is. And it would be a shame if some of your friends were to... get in the way, wouldn't it?" Growltiger sneered. "And don't let the other cats come with you, or we'll have mutiny on our hands."

"Oh, thank you, sir. I wouldn't dream of running away, sir."

"No. You wouldn't. Fetch Grumbuskin while you're at it. Let him have the night off too."

"Yes, sir." Tumblebrutus bowed out of the room and went to tell Grumbuskin he could leave. He knocked on the older cat's door. No response. He knocked again.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Tumblebrutus."

"Go away."

"Growltiger told me to tell you that you've got the night off." The door swung open. Grumbuskin glowered down at the brown and white (new) tom. He was holding a slightly battered guitar. Tumblebrutus bit back a laugh. Grumbuskin didn't really seem like the kind of guy who would play the guitar, and the whole idea seemed slightly mad in Tumble's head.

"And how do I know you're not lying? Huh? If you are I will personally see to it that you get another good beating."

"Go ask him yourself, if you must." Tumblebrutus turned on his heel and walked away. He climbed down the side of the barge and landed on the concrete riverbank. The sudden feeling of being on land and not constantly rocking on the tide threw him and he stumbled a bit, trying to regain his balance. After he was able to stand up straight he walked along the bank for a while until he came to a sign. His strong feline eyes had no problem reading it in the dim lighting.

"Molesey Lock." He read off the sign. He carried on walking and soon he came to a bridge. He was just about to step out onto the road when a two bright beams of light fell on him and a huge metal thing with big black wheels raced past him. Tumble coughed and spluttered at the fumes coming out of the back of it. It smelled horrible and it stung the back of his throat. When he had recovered, he looked out along the road. No big, scary, smelly machines thundering along yet. So, he ventured out across the road with tentative steps. After deciding he was safe, he sprinted the rest of the distance. He walked along the bridge, sniffing the air and getting to know his surroundings. Quite soon, he found himself lost in thought. He wanted nothing more than to just go back to the junkyard and it took him every ounce of his willpower to stop himself from bolting all the way back home. Would he ever even get there, or would he die of exhaustion or something?

When he snapped out of his thoughts, he realised that he had walked a lot further than he had intended to. A big, brick wall towered above him to his right and the road curved around it. He was about to turn back when he heard a loud tweet. He froze, his ears swivelling, trying to locate the bird. Then he heard it again. He looked up at a nearby tree and there it was, sitting on one of the lower branches, mocking him. It was a sparrow. Tumblebrutus crouched down and slunk to the base of the tree, never letting his eyes leave the bird. Then he started to climb. When he reached to branch that the bird was occupying, he stopped. The bird looked at him, its head cocked to one side. Tumble readied himself for a pounce, but the bird gave a loud squawk and flew off. Tumblebrutus gave chase. He jumped from the tree and raced along the pavement, following it. Eventually, it gave up tormenting him and it flew over a building and out of sight. Tumble sighed. He looked around at his surroundings. He appeared to be in some sort of backyard and he could hear drunken laugher coming from the nearby building. The sign above the door read 'The Lion Gate Mews' in big black letters. He sighed. He was probably a long way from the barge by now and he wasn't quite sure of the way back. Just then, his powerful ears picked up a faint rustle in the nearby bushes and soon he was lost in the fun of tormenting tiny mice.

Gumbuskin jumped off the barge and sniffed the air. He could go left and walk around the gardens at Hampton Court, or he could go right and go to one of the pubs. After a moments hesitation, he wondered if that was even a question and headed right. Eventually, he walked into a lively pub called 'The Bell'. Cats were lounging around on bar stools and sofas, drinking various alcoholic drinks and eating peanuts and crisps. Grumbuskin smiled to himself and ordered a cat-pint of beer. He liked this place. The people were friendly and the food was good. To his surprise, he noticed a familiar face on one of the sofas. He flopped down opposite the sphynx queen.

"Hello, Lucie. What are you doing here?" He said.

"I was just getting a drink." She swirled the wine in her glass. "How are you? How's the pirate business going for you?"

"It's good. Got a few newcomers. How's your queenfriend?"

"Oh! Yes, she's well too. We're going to be mates soon." She smiled shyly.

"That's good news! I wish you both all the best." The sphynx nodded in thanks. "Listen, Lucie, have you seen Macavity around recently?"

"No, I can't say I have, I'm afraid. Why?" She said.

"I've been wanting to do some business with him for a while now and I was wondering if you'd seen him around."

"What sort of business, if you don't mind me asking?" Lucie asked, leaning forward slightly. Grumbuskin lowered his voice.

"Well, one of the newbies I mentioned has been really getting on my nerves. I was going to try and sell him off or something and make it seem like he fell overboard or something. I know Macavity's always looking for young new... er, recruits, shall we say." He said. Lucie's eyes widened.

"What's he done?" She whispered, intrigued.

"He's always messing things up. He's late to wake up, he's late to deliver food, he's late to do his job, but Growltiger seems to like him. _And_ he's a Jellicle. I can't imagine a more vile creature."

"Oh Grum!" Lucie laughed. "You're so prejudiced against that tribe. What's wrong with them?"

"They think they're so high and mighty! They think they are the Everlasting Cat's chosen felines, a gift from God herself, equal to a king or queen. They look down on other tribes and species, they show off their talents, they live to boast. And then there's that insufferable 'Jellicle Ball' for Everlasting's sake. And they sing those annoying songs and they dance to that awful music! But worst of all, they are a tribe! Cats are supposed to be solitary animals, who put up with each other to survive, not to enjoy themselves. Families split up, friends become enemies again once they achieved their uniting goal, mates move on. It's not natural! It's strange! It's disgusting!" Grumbuskin ranted.

"Are you quite done?" Lucie downed the rest of her wine and put the glass down. "Is it so bad that they have a good life? You could have one too, if you stopped being so bitter." She raised an eyebrow. Grumbuskin sighed.

"I would have a good life if they didn't exist. I'd kill 'em all given half a chance." Lucie just rolled her eyes.

"You're being ridiculous." She told him.

"No I'm not! You are!" Grumbuskin chugged the rest of his beer and slammed the glass on the table, making the sphynx cat jump. "Since you obviously can't do anything but mock my opinions, I'm leaving. Good day, Lucie. I'll see you later." He stood up and walked to the door. Lucie raised her eyebrows and let him leave.

Grumbuskin walked back the way he came, grumbling to himself. Stupid Lucie. Stupid new cat what's-his-face. He kicked a nearby stone in annoyance and it fell into the water. The waves rippled out in ever-growing circles and he followed them with his eyes. Then, he spotted lights reflecting off the water. Immediately after that, his sharp cat ears picked up the sound of fighting and shouting. It was coming from Growltiger's barge. He broke into a run.

 **Ok right, so the reason this one has taken so long to come out is because I'm simply not writing this story as much as I was. I've been working on loads of other stories and I just never get around to writing this one. I'm going to try and keep working on it, but I can't guarantee anything. I'm really sorry...**

 **However, if you want to know what I originally planned for the story, please feel free to pm me and I'll tell you. Or, if you want to write your own ending, again just pm me so I know and then plz credit me for the original idea if you publish it! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic, it means so much to me, knowing that someone likes my writing. Love you all xxx**


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